Vote!

On Tuesday, the United States of America will hold the general election for the President, as well as representation in the Senate and Congress and a variety of local offices.

We hear a lot about the separation of church and state, a concept on which the country was founded to avoid religious persecution. Might we rather consider the ways in which our faith informs our vote. We are people of faith. We are people who hold a set of values based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. We are people of faith who believe in Jesus as Lord of all and acknowledge that the kingdom, the power and the glory belong to our Parent-God in Heaven.

As we live into our charge to make and BE disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, we act in ways that are moral and good, caring for others and the environment which God created and called very good. We must also vote for leaders who represent those same values and participate in the transformation of the world. Deuteronomy 1:13 tells us to “Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable to be your leaders.”

As we cast our votes next Tuesday in the midst of a deadly global pandemic and a deadly pandemic of racism and injustice we are assured through scripture that God will work in the world for good. Jeremiah prophesies (29:11) “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

Vote!

God bless you.

Rev. Cheryl L. Meachen, Pastor
Wesley United Methodist Church
Concord NH

Join us for worship Sundays at 10:30 
on YouTube at this link

Vote!

 

Dear Beloved,

This week we witnessed the first presidential debate of the 2020 election year. For many, it produced anxiety because of the contentious nature of the exchange or disgust at the lack of civility between the two candidates. It may have left some feeling as though they just want to tune out of the debate and commercials or even the election itself.

Looking at the issue from a spiritual perspective, God gave humans dominion (Genesis 1:26-2). God who is Love entrusted us as stewards of all that is created. That Divine Love which cares for neighbor has given us not only this gift, but also the responsibility for its care. Likewise, we are not only blessed to live in a country characterized by freedom and plenty, but we are responsible for ensuring that ALL may partake of those gifts. We are responsible for participating in elections by exercising our right to vote.

The US fought in the Revolutionary War to gain autonomy over our lives. It took years for some classes of people to receive the right to participate by voting with women finally able to participate in 1920 and black people in 1965. Even though the Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to enable Native Americans to vote, there have been a number of efforts to suppress that vote through unjust requirements like literacy tests. In most states felons lose the right to vote while incarcerated. In NH that vote returns once they are released. Some teens wait excitedly to turn 18 so that they might participate in elections and yet some of us fail to exercise that precious right.

Recently deceased United States Representative John Lewis of Georgia said, 

"The right to vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy."

In the Bible, figures like Joseph, Esther, Mordecai and Paul used their influence for “the good of their people and for the welfare of all their descendants” (Esther 10:3). 

We at Wesley encourage you to vote, to exercise this precious, sacred tool for the good of yourself and your neighbors. 

If you have questions about how to register or vote, please contact the church office at 224-7413 so that we can help you.

God bless you.
Rev. Cheryl L. Meachen, Pastor
Wesley United Methodist Church
Concord NH

Join us for worship Sundays at 10:30
on YouTube at this link

What does God smell like?

 Dear Beloved, 

It has been a difficult week with the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the resulting political turmoil, the ongoing pandemic and increase of COVID cases, the severe drought and wildfires, no indictments meaning no justice for the killing of Breonna Taylor and the shooting of two police officers during a night of protest.

The topics of division, health and care of others, stewardship of our environment and justice are properly the subject of our prayer. They need not be politically divisive. They are the subject of our relationship with each other, with our earth and with God. God weeps with us. God deeply desires wholeness in the midst of such brokenness. 

While we are called to act in these areas through our prayer, our vote and our action, God desires wholeness and wellbeing for us as individuals too. In this very stressful time, we need to take care of ourselves and sometimes that means turning the news off and tuning into God instead. 

Tuning into God can be familiar if it's something you do often, but if you're out of practice, here's a meditation to help you focus on the divine. Sitting quietly, look around at your surroundings and take note of five things you can see. Appreciate each thing as being created by God and think of its significance in your life and how it manifests love and connection. Next note four things you can hear.Think about the memories each thing invokes. Next are three things that you can touch. What emotions rise in you as you engage this sense? Next are two things that you can smell. After you've appreciated these two things currently in your surroundings, contempate the question, "What does God smell like?" (For me, it's spring mud, earthy and full of the expectation of new life blooming.) Finally, think of one thing you can taste right now. Think of why it's important and then reflect on the words of the hymn "Taste and see that the Lord is good" as they pertain to Holy Communion. How have you experienced God in this exercise? Have you found a brief respite from the news? If so, try it again tomorrow and be blessed.

God bless you.

Rev. Cheryl L. Meachen, Pastor

Wesley United Methodist Church

Concord NH

Join us for worship Sundays at 10:30 

on YouTube at this link

Expectant, Joyful

In the Christian tradition, we know that patience is a spiritual gift and that times of waiting are often followed by deep blessings.

At Wesley UMC during this time of COVID-19 when we are not meeting in the building, our Sexton, Dennis Broussard, has been taking beautiful photos for our newsletter to share those spaces that we associate with deepening spirituality and precious events but cannot see regularly in person right now. When I made this my Facebook cover photo, there were those who commented on the emptiness of the church and felt sadness. 

Dennis took this photo last week, and rather than sadness, I found it profoundly moving. In addition to his loving care of our building as our sexton, Dennis is a former Catholic priest. In this photo I can see his deep care of each of these pews which I'm sure he has wiped down countless times, as well as this view from the pulpit that liturgists, musicians and preachers (including Dennis and me) see on Sundays full of people and on other days empty as we practice and prepare for worship. 

I experience a sensation that I describe in Advent as Pregnant with Possibility when I see this picture. I experience this scene as one of preparation like Lent when we pattern our lives after the temptation of Jesus, fasting and praying and waiting for God. I am reminded of the empty tomb. Jesus is not here. He is Risen! Jesus has left the building!

For me this picture is exciting and full of energy. It reminds me of a hymn from my youth that is set to the familiar tune of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, below, particularly the lyric that says, "Open hearts and willing hands, Eager ears, expectant, joyful..." As I type that ellipsis, I feel all that possibility of those three little dots just welling up in my heart and soul, all of the possibilities for God's people here at Wesley and for our beloved community contained in that tiny bit of punctuation. 

This is a time of preparation. It is a time of joy and expectancy. It is a time for discerning and planning for the future. It is a time when we can start from scratch because we know the time following COVID-19 is going to be unlike the time that came before, unlike anything we can imagine.

There is grief. It is sad to leave one stage of our lives for the next. There are things we'll miss and things we cherish. For parents, the end of infancy and beginning of the toddler years can be sad, but just imagine how it feels to that toddler be walking--to be mobile with the whole world a matter of steps away! Each successive stage of life leaves something behind but opens new doors and beholds new horizons. We are allowed our grief over the past that will be no more. We can share laughter and memories at bygone days. But we also have the opportunity, like Mary--like Jesus--like that toddler to revel in anticipation of what is to come. 

We are invited to be expectant, joyful.

God bless you, Beloved.

Reverend Cheryl L. Meachen, Pastor
Wesley United Methodist Church
Concord NH

Join us for worship at Wesley UMC - Concord NH
Sundays at 10:30 on YouTube at this link.

Father, we Thy loving children
Lift our hearts in joy today,
Knowing well that Thou wilt keep us
Ever in Thy blessed way.
Thou art Love and Thou art wisdom,
Thou art Life and Thou art All;
In Thy Spirit living, moving,
We shall neither faint nor fall.

Come we daily then, dear Father,
Open hearts and willing hands,
Eager ears, expectant, joyful,
Ready for Thy right commands.
We would hear no other voices,
We would heed no other call;
Thou alone art good and gracious,
Thou our Mind and Thou our All.

In Thy house securely dwelling,
Where Thy children live to bless,
Seeing only Thy creation,
We can share Thy happiness,
Share Thy joy and spend it freely.
Loyal hearts can feel no fear;
We Thy children know Thee, Father,
Love and Life forever near.

Words Copyright, 1932, by The Christian Board of Directors; Music Arranged from Ludwig van Beethoven, Ode to Joy (Tune is also found in the UM Hymnal p. 89 "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee"

Breath of God

Romans 8:26-27 (NRSV)

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Edwin Hatch, 1878 (UMH 420, v. 3)

Gracious and loving God,

We are so grateful always, but especially in these days, to know that it is you who have breathed into us the breath of life.

We are mindful that there are those in our world, in our country, in our Conference and in our neighborhoods that are fighting for breath.

We are mindful that disease has stricken so many and robbed them of the breath they gasp to take in.

We are mindful that oppression has held its knee on the neck of too many robbing them of the breath that you bring into being.

Cultivate in us that mind which was in Jesus Christ so that we may take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading breath-stealing disease.

Cultivate in us that mind which was in Jesus Christ so that we are compelled to stand up against the oppression that steals the breath of your beloved children.

When we do not have the words,

When we cannot fathom the circumstances that have befallen so many in this pandemic,

When we cannot imagine the grief of the mothers whose children have been senselessly killed,

Send us that Spirit which intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.

Send us that Spirit which breathed the church into existence at Pentecost.

Search our hearts. Set us straight.

Help us in our weakness.

Breathe in us, Breath of God.



Rev. Cheryl L. Meachen, Pastor
Wesley United Methodist Church
Concord NH

Join us for worship at Wesley UMC - Concord NH
Sundays at 10:30 on YouTube at this link.

Beloved Community

"All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Acts 2:44-47

My heart continues to return to the above passage from Acts at the time of Pentecost, the birth of the Christian church. You can see that there are several elements described above that characterize who we are as God's people in the world:

1. Together
2. Give of ourselves in order to give to others
3. Spend time in the temple
4. Break bread 
5. Glad and generous hearts
6. Praise God
7. Receive new people daily

We're able to praise God walking through the woods or sitting in our living rooms. We're even able to give generously, be glad, share virtual communion and have visitors to our virtual services.

But it is a challenge to be together since we currently cannot spend time in our "temple."

We can be formed spiritually through prayer and study of scripture. We can worship together while apart. We can generously provide to those in need.

But what about community. We yearn for togetherness -- the very thing that spreads this horrible disease of COVID-19. I'm sure it breaks your heart as it breaks mine that we are being told that singing and hugging and sharing meals and being together in groups are potentially deadly. We are compelled by our faith to care for our neighbor by wearing masks and socially distancing. We are compelled by common sense to stay home for the time being.

But what about community. How does one form beloved community in this time of coronavirus? We at Wesley have tried to encourage groups, teams, committees, nests and individuals to keep connected by phone, postal mail, email, Zoom, text and Facebook. Personally, I've been building relationships with my neighbors. The person who used to be "that lady who walks by twice a day with her ski poles" now has a name, a familiar face and a remarkable connection as the mother of my high school class salutatorian. I've made friends with "the guy with the Jack Russell terrier." I talk to the neighbors on either side every day now rather than every once in a while. It's pretty cool. I don't think it would have happened without the pandemic, at least not this soon after moving here.

So it is possible to build community. It is possible to maintain community. This time is very stressful, wondering what comes next. So take good care of yourself. Sleep well. Eat well. Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Take care of your soul. Remember that Jesus calms our anxious, fearful hearts. 

And most of all, reach out when you're feeling lonely. Chances are, the person you choose to call, needs someone to talk to too.

Rev. Cheryl L. Meachen, Pastor
Wesley United Methodist Church
Concord NH

Join us for worship at Wesley UMC - Concord NH
Sundays at 10:30 on YouTube at this link.

15 Years

"I will give you pastors after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." Jeremiah 3:15

My Dad gave me a poster with the above words on it shortly after I first became a pastor 15 years ago. It has hung in every church office I've occupied since then. I invite you to share some memories of these years with me below.

This is a week when United Methodist pastors across the connection are moving to new appointments, leaving old appointments, retiring, beginning or staying, looking forward to the next year. I've sometimes described it as musical chairs to non-Methodists, when everyone moves to the next seat in the midst of a melody of love and care for our precious congregations.

I served my first church in Marlow NH from 2005-2009 and it was a dear place that deeply formed me. It was a quarter time appointment which enabled me to continue my job supervising the legal clinics at Franklin Pierce Law Center, caring for my young son, getting my undergraduate degree in Human Services from Franklin Pierce College, continuing in the first year to worship at Rejuvenation! and sing with EP each week and begin my time at Boston University School of Theology. This precious community holds a dear place in my heart. My field education (internship) was to a second church, East Lempster UMC to see what Christian community might rise from the ashes after that church had closed four years previously. 

I was then appointed to Brattleboro VT to First United Methodist Church from 2009-2016 where I finished my seminary career traveling to Boston several times a week and serving the church full-time. Some of the unique characteristics of that church were that we did billowing - a form of dance with long flowing bands of cloth. We had a community garden that produced hundreds of pounds of vegetables for community feeding programs. We held an annual Drive Through Nativity driving around the church with luminaries lighting the path through nine scenes of scripture leading up to Christ's birth. I also enjoyed significant ministry with incarcerated individuals through the Brattleboro Community Justice Center during my tenure here. In the last two years of my appointment here I also served Leyden United Methodist Church in MA. I would conduct an early worship service in Leyden and then travel to Brattleboro for a second service each week. Leyden is a farming community with wholesome and loving people whose teddy bear prayer ministry is heartwarming as they pray over the bears and deliver them to those in need. Leyden has a booth at the Franklin County Fair where they make the most delicious homemade meals for fairgoers each year with pounds and pounds of carrots and onions and potatoes. We would hold our worship service in that booth on the Sunday of the fair for all to join!

From 2016-2019 I served Lake Sunapee United Methodist Church (2/3) and Grantham United Methodist Church (1/3) as a full-time appointment. Grantham is a healthy, service oriented church that innovated wonderful ways to serve the community like bringing dozens of Advent boxes filled with 24 thoughtful gifts prepared by congregants to dozens of homebound people in the community and community servants. We also innovated a delightful Gas Giveaway event each spring where we had the local gas station roll back the pumps ten cents a gallon. We then pumped gas, washed windows and brought coffee to patrons in their cars, with the church paying ten cents for every gallon and for all of the coffee we gave away. We got to know the community and shared a lot of joy and laughter! We had many successful leadership retreats, fundraisers for our partners bringing education to Sierra Leone and Blessings of the Pets. In Sunapee, I reached out to the community by serving a buffet every Friday night to the coffee house which used our space, offered weekly worship services at three area nursing homes and trained to become an Emergency Medical Responder and Firefighter with Sunapee Fire Department, spending my Tuesday evenings with 20-30 of the most wonderful firefighters and going on calls ministering to people in the community. I even got to play Mrs. Claus for the annual children's party. Santa and I arrived at the event riding on Ladder 5!

Over the course of these fifteen years I have also married dozens of couples, buried dozens of saints, baptized dozens of babies and confirmed dozens of children. In fact, one of the young women in my last confirmation class was instrumental in that church becoming the fourth reconciling congregation in NH!

I am so pleased to be beginning my second year serving Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord NH. This is a vibrant, caring and socially active church, healthy in its interactions and deeply spiritually grounded. I can't wait to see what we'll do together in Christ's name through Christ's love for the people of Concord and beyond.

Rev. Cheryl L. Meachen, Pastor
Wesley United Methodist Church
Concord NH

Visit Pastor Cheryl's blog for inspiration and encouragement